Brooklyn, New York – It was shortly after Chanukah when a group of men sitting in discussion at the Shul in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, saw a tzedaka collector from Israel tapping at the crumbs of the shul’s morning cake leftovers, hoping to eat enough of them to temporarily quell his rumbling hunger pains. After not finding too much success in his desperate endeavor, the men watched as the collector bundled up his torn coat and walked back onto the street, ready to continue collecting money for his struggling family in Israel.

“We saw what was happening,” explains Rabbi Gold “that this man who had come all the way from Israel to collect money, yet had literally nothing to eat, and we felt that something had to be done to help.”

With this inspiration the small group of individuals started Community Food Fund, otherwise known as Pas L’Orchim, a unique organization that distributes restaurant vouchers to hungry guests from Israel who find themselves staying in the Williamsburg section of Brooklyn.

Whether they are in New York for medical treatment, or collecting money for a yeshiva or their own families, the founders of Community Food Fund wanted to ensure that each guest is properly fed. “On Shabbos it is not really a problem,” continues Rabbi Gold. “The guests usually find a place to eat, and people are always happy to host guests on Shabbos. There is a family here that has an

open door and has been feeding people on Shabbos for more than forty years, so that wasn’t the issue. But what to do during the week, when people are busy working and running their own lives?

“Williamsburg has every type of institution to help others, and they are all amazing and wonderful; but what about the basics of feeding a hungry person? So we decided that charity begins at home and we would take it upon ourselves to raise the money to implement a solution.”

What came out was a program that thus far partners with nine food establishments in Williamsburg.

The shamoshim of all of the larger shuls in Williamsburg received booklets with 30 vouchers inside, each voucher redeemable for a substantial meal at one of the establishments. Arriving at either Olympic Pita, Green’s Restaurant, Gottlieb’s Restaurant, Slices Pizza, Grill on Lee, or the Satmar Meat187 Ross St, Satmar Meat 882 Lee Ave, Satmar Meat 684 Myrtle Ave, or Satmar

Meat 239 Lee Ave, the holder of the voucher can expect a generous meal consisting of a main dish, a soup, and two side dishes. A variety of types of food and hechsherim is provided, in order to cater to as many of the needs of the recipients as feasable. “The response has been overwhelming,” says Rabbi Gold “both from the orchim and from the owners of the restaurants. Five weeks into the program we had already given out 750 vouchers. Each voucher subsidizes $5 of the meal, and the restaurant pays for the rest.

We received sponsorship for the first 1000 meals and for the printing of the vouchers, but we have been giving out far more than we expected; the need is just so great, larger than we could have ever imagined. “I walked into one of the restaurants recently and a guest was eating a meal at one of the booths. He recognized me and walked over to thank me for being a part of this program. ‘This is the first time that I’m able to eat a meal without a whole family staring at me,’ he told me. ‘Of course the family is feeding me and I cannot just eat and run out, but now it’s so much more comfortable for me.’

Another orech told me that he was coming back from Boro Park with a fellow collector and they only had one voucher between them. They went to the restaurant and split the meal, but because it the amount of food that was served was so generous, they were both able to walk away satisfied.” Rabbi Gold explains that because there is absolutely no overhead, a prospective donor would be getting tremendous value for each dollar that they donated. “For each $5 dollars that we raise, a guest receives a $25 meal at one of these restaurants. One of the restaurants actually takes only $3 from us. When I asked him why, he answered, ‘What, and I don’t have to do mitzvos?’”

Community Food Fund is being run under the auspices of the Oshver Rebbe, shlita, and is under the supervision of multiple community rabbonim. Its goal is to have as many people pledge sponsorship of meals per day, and ensure that no one falls victim to hunger.

“It is our responsibility to take care of our fellow Jews. These people come off of a plane with

nothing, hoping to collect enough to help their families back home. No billionaire will step out

and sponsor this program; it is up to each of us to do this, person to person, Jew to Jew. Things

don’t happen on their own, if we do not help them, who will?”

To donate to Pas L’Orchim/Community Food Fund, visit communityfoodfund.org, or

send donations to

Community Food Fund, 320 Roebling Street Suite 313, Brooklyn, NY, 11211,

or call 718-702-6503